A fresh row has blown up on the railways over the cancellation of dozens of trains on a busy route, because of "autumn leaf-fall arrangements".

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said 33 Gatwick Express services previously axed amid staff shortages will not return until December 12 because of the leaf issue.

GTR owns Southern, which is involved in a long-running dispute with the Rail, Maritime and Transport union over changes to the role of conductors.

More than 60 Southern services will be restored to the timetable from Monday and a further 46 will follow on October 31, completing all its services removed earlier this year under a revised timetable because of the industrial dispute and staff shortages.

It is yet another piece of make-believe spin from Southern's imperious, out-of-touch management who've blamed sick staff for the delays, now they blame leavesManuel Cortes, TSSA union

GTR said that in line with the rest of the rail industry, it was taking steps to better manage the impact of leaves on the line during the autumn.

Leaving the 33 Gatwick Express services out until the end of autumn will help reduce congestion and delays on the busy Brighton mainline route, it said.

"During the leaf-fall period, with challenging slippery rail conditions, trains take longer to reach their destinations, leading to congestion, cancellations and delays.

"In recognition of this, from Monday 24th October until Friday 9th December, weekday Southern and Gatwick Express trains arriving or departing from London Victoria or London Bridge may have their journey times extended by between one and three minutes.

"Weekday Thameslink trains on the busy Brighton mainline from Three Bridges to Brighton and from Brighton to London Bridge will also have their journey times extended by up to three minutes.

"These changes will result in more reliable journey times, giving greater certainty for passengers," said a statement.

More than 30 Gatwick Express services previously axed amid staff shortages will not return until December 12 because of the leaf issueCredit:
Govia Thameslink Railway/PA

Charles Horton, chief executive of GTR, said: "Challenging conditions during the autumn mean that train services across the country become vulnerable to poor weather and slippery rails, compromising performance and certainty for passengers.

"We, like other train operators in the UK, are taking steps to reduce the risk of disruption during the period."

Manuel Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, said: "What do Southern's bosses put in their tea? This is pure Alice in Wonderland stuff - fewer trains and longer journey times to improve service.

"It is yet another piece of make-believe spin from Southern's imperious, out-of-touch management who've blamed sick staff for the delays, now they blame leaves.

"They never take ownership of the problems they cause. This pathetic excuse for the cancellation of another 33 Gatwick services a day really must be the last straw for the Department for Transport, who simply cannot keep avoiding the fact that Southern is so seriously mired in breaches of contract that they must take it back into direct public control by Christmas."